Chances are, by now, you have heard plenty of reasons why email marketing is good for your business. Trust us when we say: It's not a bunch of baloney. Email marketing is one of the best ways to get your message in front of your target audience. Think about it: how often do you check your email? If you're like most people, it's probably every day and multiple times during the day. Whether you want to build brand awareness, share company news, advertise a promotional offer or generate leads, email marketing is a tried and true method. If it's done right, it can be a very powerful component of your marketing strategy.
Unfortunately, it's not always done right. Maybe you're unsure of the best way to utilize email marketing for your business. Or maybe you've just gotten busy and email marketing has been pushed to the back burner. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: When email marketing is not done right, it can have a negative effect on your business. In many cases, subscribers will delete your emails, or worse yet, mark them as spam. This is why it is massively important to create brilliant content and follow all the right procedures.
That's where we come in.
Hiring a marketing agency to handle your email marketing campaigns can ensure your emails are timely, relevant and helpful to your business. If you're having trouble setting up an email marketing campaign for your business or have found yourself making any of the 10 mistakes listed below, it might be time to consider hiring a professional.
The 10 things NOT to do in email marketing:
1. Be inconsistent
Your email marketing campaign is an extension of your business, so it is important that they are cohesive with all other aspects of your brand. Whether you are promoting a sale, conducting an email survey or simply selling your products, your email should reflect your brand's message, style and what you offer as a company.
2. Be sales pitchy
Being too sales pitchy in your email marketing campaign can turn potential customers away. People don't want to be told to buy something all the time. They want to be educated and entertained. Make sure your email holds value for the reader and contains more substance than a blatant "Buy My Stuff" message.
3. Make mistakes
Once an email has been sent, there's no turning back. It goes straight to the inbox and cannot be updated or edited. If your email marketing campaign is full of sloppy grammar and content mistakes, it will reflect poorly on you as a company. Of course, everyone makes mistakes every now and then. Even editors need editing. But it's still important to allow the proper amount of time and review to each email to ensure you're presenting your company in the best possible light.
4. Be sporadic
Being sporadic with your email marketing can cause your subscribers to forget about you and make them more likely to delete your next email. It takes time and commitment to stick to a regular email marketing schedule, but is ultimately one of the most important parts of email marketing. A regularly scheduled newsletter can build brand recognition and keep you top of mind with your subscribers.
5. Bombard subscribers with emails
The same way that sending sporadic emails can be detrimental to your business, so can sending too many messages. The most common reason that people request to be taken off email lists is because their inbox is being constantly bombarded with messages. Don't annoy your subscribers. Cap the number of emails you send per month.
6. Write too much
People rarely take time to read the entire content of your email. A lot of your subscribers may be checking their emails on a mobile device and don't want to scroll through massive amounts of text. Make sure your emails are broken up in a way that makes the content scan-able and easy to digest.
7. Be boring
If a reader finds your emails boring, they're going to lose interest quickly. Add color, images and interesting content to grab the reader's attention and keep it. Just because the subject matter is boring, doesn't mean the delivery has to be. Spice it up and make your emails worth reading.
8. Be formal
Email marketing is all about engaging your consumers, as well as any potential consumers. Being overly formal can turn people away. Construct your emails in a way that engages your subscribers and stays true to the tone of your brand.
9. Write uninteresting headlines
The hardest part of email marketing is getting your email opened. This is where creative headlines come into play. A boring headline will send your email straight to the Trash. An effective headline will intrigue your readers and cause them to click on your email.
10. Forget to analyze
One of the worst things you can do to an email marketing campaigns is forget to analyze. You'll never see the true benefit of email marketing if you're not keeping track of the data. By analyzing open and click-through rates, you can see what needs to be improved and what's working well. Keep an eye on the number of unsubscribers as well. A rise in unsubscribe requests can be an alert to you that something isn't working.
